PLAYING COWBOY
by peppe1951
Summary: Summary: While investigating a case out West Tony gets a taste of what not to do when under attack. Warning: Disciplining of an adult. Don’t like? Don’t read! Disclaimer: NCIS belongs to CBS and Paramount; I only write about them. Spoilers: South by S
1. Prologue

**PLAYING COWBOY**

By Peppe1951

**Summary**: While investigating a case out West Tony gets a taste of what not to do when under attack. **Warning:** Disciplining of an adult. Don't like? Don't read! **Disclaimer:** NCIS belongs to CBS and Paramount; I only write about them.

**Spoilers: South by Southwest. (**I've changed some of the conversation and scenes from the original episode but for the most part the story is based on the episode, South by Southwest.)

**Prologue:**

Special Agent Patterson had been gunned down only blocks from NCIS and Special Agent Jethro Gibbs team had been assigned the case. They found out early that Patterson had been on his way to meet with their Forensic Scientist Abby Scuito which only made the case more mysterious especially after Abby had received the package that Patterson had sent her.

"There's a mystery in this," muttered Abby as she viewed the painting of a landscape. It pictured mountains, a small girl reading a book by a lake but nothing that she could see that was a clue to what Patterson had wanted her to find.

Gibbs left McGee, Ziva and Abby to continue their investigation in Washington, D. C. while he and DiNozzo went to Arizona to pick the case up from the beginning.

He got in touch with Sheriff Clay Boyd in their search for the artist of the painting, Dina Risi. It was while they were in flight that Abby discovered the uranium that was found in the actual paint that was used.

DiNozzo and Gibbs traveled by four-wheel drive until they could go no farther and met with Sheriff Boyd at the beginning of the trail to Ms Risi location. It was during their return trip down the mountains that McGee warned them of the helicopter heading in their direction.

They soon found out that they were being targeted when the man impersonating FBI Agent Bart Lemming who opened fire on them and they had to flee for their lives until Sheriff Boyd fell from his horse and they had to seek cover.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

"My rifle is in the scabbard on my saddle. It is powerful enough to do the job," indicating the helicopter cried Boyd from the ground as he scrambled for cover. His horse had run away and Gibbs rode off.

Tony hurriedly helped Dina from her saddle and they ran for cover where Tony began to fire at the helicopter. It as only after Gibbs had left that Tony jumped up and stood in plain sight as he began to fire point blank at the helicopter and hitting the 'copter's body.

"Get out of the way, you fool kid," shouted Boyd as he too returned fire as DiNozzo jumped this way and the other to keep from getting hit as he continued to fire at the helicopter.

When the fake FBI agent realized what DiNozzo was up to he ordered the pilot to take off after Gibbs; but by the time they found him Gibbs was ready.

He pulled Boyd's rifle from the scabbard and climbed down from his saddle. He stood still and aimed carefully before shooting the pilot causing him to crash the helicopter.

When Gibbs returned to Sheriff Clay Boyd, he found that the older man was mysteriously absent from the scene along with his senior agent, Tony DiNozzo.

He looked around for a moment before turning to the artist they had been escorting to safety, Dina Risi and asked, "Where is everybody?"

She pointed towards a stand of trees and said, "Sheriff Boyd took your agent behind the trees. They have been gone only a few minutes but it sounds like the Sheriff is about chew your agent out…he had been reckless in his defense of us earlier."

Gibbs nodded and walked toward the trees Dina had pointed to arriving just in time to witness Sheriff Boyd's wrestling DiNozzo over a boulder.

"Hey, what's going on?"

"BOSS! Stop him; he wants to whip me," cried Tony as he struggled to get away.

Sheriff Boyd paused as he effortlessly held Tony in place and turned towards Gibbs. "To answer your question; I'm about to whip your agent for his recklessness while you were racing to retrieve my rifle and bring down the helicopter. Now you can either take my place or stand aside while I wear him out!"

Gibbs nodded his understanding and walked closer until he was standing a foot away. He exchanged a long look with Sheriff Boyd before holding out his hand.

After a moment Sheriff Boyd released both his hold on DiNozzo and the length of rope he was going to use of DiNozzo's butt.

As soon as he was released Tony pushed himself away from the boulder to stand next to Gibbs and glared at the Sheriff.

"Thanks, Boss. He was going to use that thing…on me," he said as he pointed to the rope.

Gibbs spared him on a quick glance before turning his attention back to Boyd. "Now what did he do that made you feel that you had to correct him in this matter?" he asked seriously.

"He was reckless," began the sheriff as Gibbs interrupted,

"That's what Ms. Risi said when I rode up."

"He decided to shoot at the helicopter in an attempt to delay their pursuit of you," replied Sheriff Boyd.

Gibbs gave him a confused look, "What's wrong with that?"

"He was playing cowboy and having a shootout with the helicopter:

He exposed himself to their fire; before you left he was behind some boulders firing up at the helicopter but afterwards he got up and in their direct line of fire to shoot it out with them. They came close to hitting him twice before they shot off after you," Boyd explained seriously.

Gibbs turned his glare at DiNozzo and asked, "Is that true DiNozzo?"

"Boss," DiNozzo replied as he shrugged his shoulders, "I was trying to get their attention and I moved away each time their shots came close…I was in no real danger."

"I said, "IS THAT TRUE!!"

DiNozzo stared at his boss before nodding his agreement, "Yes, sir."

"In my book that was foolish behavior warranting immediate punishment," Boyd added at Tony's admission.

Gibbs nodded and said, "In my book, too. DiNozzo, get your butt back over that boulder. We are going to have a discussion on your behavior."

Tony did a double take at that order and began to plead, "But Boss…my butt is sore enough from riding that horse."

"Well, its going to be even sorer when I finish with you…maybe this time the lesson will take…now get back in position," barked Gibbs angrily.

Tony reluctantly draped himself over the same boulder Sheriff Boyd had him in when Gibbs had first arrived.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Sheriff Boyd, why don't you take Ms Risi on down the mountain while I handle this with DiNozzo? We will catch up with you shortly…this won't take long," Gibbs said grimly.

"Agent Gibbs your Agent won't be able to sit comfortable after you've had your discussion…I doubt that you will be joining us shortly," replied Boyd as he headed for his horse and Ms Risi, "but we will be waiting no matter how long it takes."

Gibbs waited until after Dina Risi and Sheriff Boyd had left before turning back to his agent. "DiNozzo, how many times is it going to take before you learn not to but yourself in danger needlessly? You could have continued to fire at the helicopter with endangering your life but you chose not to; well not you are going to pay the price for that stupidity," growled Gibbs as he brought the length of double-up rope hard against Tony's butt and he kept on swinging until he had DiNozzo yelping and howling in pain; after about ten licks Gibbs stopped and stood back and allowed Tony to push away from the boulder.

He waited until Tony around to face him to say, "Tony I can't lose you like I did Kate. I know that the possibility exists that you might take a bullet in the line of duty but I'll be damned if you will take one due to your own stupidity and recklessness and I will continue to beat your butt every time you endanger your life needlessly."

Tony rubbed his face with his sleeve before replying, "B-Boss, y-you really do care."

"Of course, I care you knucklehead. Why do you think I take such pains with you if I didn't care," replied Gibbs?

"But Boss, "I'm the one that is usually in pain after one of your administrations," exclaimed Tony painfully, as he rubbed his butt and winced.

"That's the best way I have to show you how much I care about you, DiNozzo," Gibbs said with a smile. "It's a tough job but someone has to do it…and I'm ready for the job; especially if it will keep you safe in the end."

"Yeah, safely resting on my stomach for the night," mutter Tony.

"Yeah, and that is where you will be spending the night tonight, too," promised Gibbs.

"Yeah, but first I have to get off the mountain and that means riding that beast and on my very sore butt," wailed Tony as he reluctantly started to climb up on his horse.

"OW!" cried Tony as his butt made contact with the western saddle and he stood up in his stirrups and looked pleadingly at Gibbs. "How can I ride like this?"

"Painfully is the only option you have DiNozzo," quipped Gibbs as he waited for Tony had once again settled himself back in the saddle.

"Are you ready," he asked Tony?

Tony only nodded as he grabbed his reins and turned his horse to follow Gibbs.

Gibbs rode off thinking that Tony was close behind. It wasn't until he had ridden for a few minutes that he glanced over his shoulders to find that Tony was nowhere to be seen.

"DiNozzo!" Gibbs called out and when he didn't get an immediate reply turned around to retrace his steps. It was a few minutes later that he met his wayward agent as Tony slowly walked his horse towards Gibbs.

"What's wrong Tony," Gibbs asked with concern?

"It hurts too much to ride any quicker than at a slow walk, Boss," replied Tony. "I thought I would follow you at a slower speed and that would give you time to call in a report," Tony added easily.

Gibbs only glared at the younger man before replying, "You thought wrong, DiNozzo. Didn't you see that the sun was setting; we only have a few minutes to get down before it grows to dark to see? I want to be heading back to our hotel for a good night's rest before we head back home tomorrow."

And with that Gibbs rode closer to Tony and pulled out the same piece of rope he had used on Tony's butt only a few minutes ago to loosely tie a loop that he placed over Tony's mount's head and to tie the other to his own saddle horn.

"You just hold on to the saddle horn and get ready for the ride of your life DiNozzo…we are leaving now!" Gibbs added as he turned his horse around and with a nudge in the ribs had the horse loping down the trail with Tony's horse following close behind.

"Nooooo…Bossss…ow…oww…ow…oww…slow down, Boss… please!

Ow…oww…owww…," howled Tony continuously for the whole journey back down the mountain….and until he sat at his desk which caught McGee's eye as he came over.

"Hey, partner welcome back to the fort. I'm surprise that you can sit down," quipped McGee.

Tony looked up with dismay, "No Gibbs wouldn't tell…how did you know?"

"Know what?" asked McGee interestingly.

"What do you know?" asked Ziva as she walked up.

"What does DiNozzo know?" asked Gibbs with a smirk.

Tony looked up to the three interested faces and just laid his head on his desk and cried, "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!"

The End


End file.
